72-706: Petersfield Festival Hall and Town Hall is a municipal building in Heath Road in Petersfield , a town in Hampshire , in England. It hosts the annual Petersfield Musical Festival. The first municipal building in the town was a town hall in the Market Square which was completed in 1780, and reconstructed in 1826. The town hall was the meeting place of the borough council until the borough was abolished under
144-531: A shallow sea which extended across much of northwest Europe. The rock is composed of the microscopic skeletons of plankton which lived in the sea, hence its colour. The chalk has many fossils , and bands of flint occur throughout the formation. The Chalk is divided into the Lower, Middle and Upper Chalk, a thin band of cream-coloured nodular chalk known as the Melbourn Rock marking the boundary between
216-484: A 17th-century herb garden. It is open to the public nearly every day of the year. Next to the Red Lion public house is the small Charles Dickens garden. Petersfield has a small volunteer-run community garden, 'The Good Life (Petersfield) Community Garden', situated on the edge of the town next to Sheet railway crossing; the garden is open to members (membership is free). Petersfield has an Arts and Crafts Society which
288-589: A Bingo Hall before closure in January 1985. After six years of closure, the building saw use as a nightclub from 1993 for some years, first under the name "Oscars", then from 1999 as "Vertigo". It closed in May 2007 and was demolished in May 2008. The site is now occupied by residential flats and a retail store. The parish church of St Peter , after which the town is named, is the Anglican church of Norman origins in
360-527: A Triathlon Club. Petersfield has cycling groups including a local CTC group and The Petersfield Mountain Bikers. At a national level, Petersfield is part of the Westminster parliamentary constituency of East Hampshire . At a county level, Petersfield is part of Hampshire County Council. At a district level, Petersfield is part of East Hampshire District Council (EHDC). Before the creation of
432-692: A lowland grassland on the west and south facing scarp slopes of the Meon valley; and Beacon Hill, a high quality chalk grassland 5 km west of Old Winchester Hill. In 1923 the Society of Sussex Downsmen (now the South Downs Society) was formed with the aim of protecting the area's unique landscape. The South Downs are a popular area for ramblers with a network of over 2,000 mi (3,200 km) of well-managed, well-signed and easily accessible trails. The principal bridleway, and longest of them,
504-486: A new foyer, a new bar, toilets, a green room , and a meeting room. In 2008, a fire damaged much of the first floor, but the damaged area was soon restored. In 2017, plans were drawn up for a remodelling of the building, and the town council are currently awaiting planning permission to proceed. In 2023 plans were announced to renovate the outdated council chamber ahead of the larger planned refurbishment (as this renovation does not require planning permission to undertake), but
576-509: A non-profit community radio service in January 2019 and began making local speech podcasts that year. In August 2020 it started a 24-hour local radio service for Petersfield called Petersfield's Shine Radio. The service broadcasts online. ITV News Chief Correspondent Richard Gaisford is among the project's supporters. South Downs The South Downs are a range of chalk hills in the south-eastern coastal counties of England that extends for about 260 sq mi (670 km ) across
648-736: A poem "On the South Downs". The South Downs have been home to several writers, including Jane Austen who lived at Chawton on the edge of the Downs in Hampshire. The Bloomsbury Group often visited Monk's House in Rodmell , the home of Virginia Woolf in the Ouse valley. Alfred, Lord Tennyson , had a second home at Aldworth, on Blackdown ; geologically part of the Weald , Blackdown lies north of
720-563: A sauna, steam room and other facilities. The town has tennis courts (both public and members only), an open-air pool, a number of playing fields and a golf club. Petersfield has clubs and teams for sports. Petersfield Town F.C. plays in the Wessex League . Several players have gone on to professional sporting careers, such as footballer Maik Taylor , rugby player Tim Rodber and more recently Calum Chambers who plays for Aston Villa and has been called up for England as well. The town has
792-459: A whole, although there has been large-scale urban encroachment onto the chalk downland by major seaside resorts, including most notably Brighton and Hove . The South Downs have been inhabited since ancient times and at periods the area has supported a large population, particularly during Romano-British times. There is a rich heritage of historical features and archaeological remains, including defensive sites, burial mounds and field boundaries. Within
SECTION 10
#1732782745522864-589: Is 271 m (889 ft) above sea level. The plateau-like top of this irregularly shaped hill, which lies just south of Petersfield, Hampshire , was in regular use through prehistory. It has been designated as a national nature reserve . Within the boundary of the South Downs National Park, which includes parts of the western Weald to the north of the South Downs, the highest point is Blackdown , West Sussex, which rises to 280 m (919 ft) above sea level. However, Blackdown geologically
936-677: Is a market town and civil parish in the East Hampshire district of Hampshire , England. It is 15 miles (24 km) north of Portsmouth . The town has its own railway station on the Portsmouth Direct line , the mainline rail link connecting Portsmouth and London. Situated below the northern slopes of the South Downs , Petersfield lies wholly within the South Downs National Park . The town
1008-473: Is a typical heathland mosaic of micro habitats. Across the site are sandy heath and acid heath areas, grassland and scrub which gives the area diverse zones for insects, reptiles, birds and small mammals. Petersfield Heath is at one end of " The Serpent Trail ", a 65-mile (105 km) walk through heath and downland of Hampshire and West Sussex to Haslemere . Petersfield Cemetery, situated in Ramshill,
1080-466: Is about a case that Holmes solves whilst living there. The author Graham Greene 's first published novel, The Man Within (1929), is set largely on and around the South Downs. The book's principal character, Andrews, travels by foot across the Downs to reach Lewes and attend the Assizes. Greene provides a detailed description of both the landscape and its 'feel'. The author H. G. Wells published
1152-664: Is also a war memorial , The Chattri , dedicated to Indian soldiers who died in the Brighton area, having been brought there for treatment after being injured fighting on the Western Front in the First World War . Rudyard Kipling who lived in Rottingdean described the South Downs as "Our blunt, bow-headed whale-backed Downs". Writing in 1920 in his poem The South Country , poet Hilaire Belloc describes
1224-484: Is just outside the town, and Bedales School is in the neighbouring village of Steep . The former Moreton House School in the town centre was bought by Churcher's College in 1993 to become Churcher's College Junior School, but it soon outgrew these premises and subsequently relocated to Liphook . The old Moreton House school site was converted to housing. Regional local news and television programmes are BBC South and ITV Meridian . Television signals are received from
1296-472: Is not part of the South Downs but instead forms part of the Greensand Ridge on the Weald 's western margins. A list of those points on the South Downs above 700 ft (210 m), going from west to east, is given below. Archaeological evidence has revealed that the Downs have been inhabited and utilised for thousands of years. Neolithic flint mines such as Cissbury , burial mounds such as
1368-563: Is now a private house. The King's Arms is a youth club situated near the town centre, started by Petersfield Area Churches Together (PACT), a charitable Christian organisation. The Kings Arms now runs independently. Petersfield had a 700-seat cinema, the Savoy, that opened in the late 1930s. It was built on the site of the Petersfield Electric Theatre, which had been built in 1910. During the 1970s its use converted to
1440-672: Is on the crossroads of well-used north–south (formerly the A3 road which now bypasses the town) and east–west routes (today the A272 road ) and it grew as a coach stop on the Portsmouth to London route. Petersfield is twinned with Barentin in France, and Warendorf in Germany. Petersfield Heath's burial mounds may be up to 4,000 years old; their distribution is mainly to the east and south east of
1512-595: Is the South Downs Way . The Monarch's Way , having originated at Worcester , crosses the South Downs and ends at Shoreham-by-Sea . Sports undertaken on the Downs include paragliding , mountain-biking , horse riding and walking . The popular Beachy Head Marathon (formerly Seven Sisters Marathon ), a hilly cross-country marathon, takes place each autumn on the eastern Downs, starting and finishing in Eastbourne. The South Downs Trail Marathon starts in
SECTION 20
#17327827455221584-700: The Battle of the Boyne . Petersfield is situated in the valley of the Western Rother , on the Lower Greensand at the northern edge of the South Downs . The town lies at the western end of the Greensand Ridge , a sandstone ridge running through Hampshire, Surrey and Kent. The town is surrounded on all sides by farmed countryside, with the South Downs south of the town, the Hampshire Downs to
1656-464: The Devil's Jumps and Devil's Humps , and hill forts like Chanctonbury Ring are strong features in the landscape. It has been estimated that the tree cover of the Downs was cleared over 3000 years ago, and the present closely grazed turf is the result of continual grazing by sheep. Proposals to create a national park for the South Downs date back to the 1940s. However, it was not until 1999 that
1728-602: The Edward Thomas collection. The museum also exhibits social-history collections made up from maps, photographs, archives, oral history and artefacts related to the history of the town. Exhibitions are sometimes also held at the Festival Hall, St Peter's Church , and the Physic Garden. Petersfield was once home to the world's first Teddy Bear Museum, which opened in 1984. It closed at the end of 2006, and
1800-577: The Midhurst TV transmitter. Local radio stations are BBC Radio Solent , Heart South and Delta Radio was the local radio station for the area until 2010 when it merged with Kestrel FM from Basingstoke. It became The Breeze in December 2012. That station was closed in September 2020 and replaced by a national service, Greatest Hits Radio . A local volunteer group tested the potential for
1872-619: The Municipal Corporations Act 1883 . The right of the borough council to elect members of parliament , usually resulting in the lord of the manor , Sir William Jolliffe , being selected, was removed under the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885 , and the town hall, which had become dilapidated as well as redundant, was demolished in 1898. A corn exchange had been erected on the corner of the High Street and
1944-545: The North Downs as its counterpart on the northern side, as shown on the diagram. Between these two escarpments the anticline has been subject to differential erosion so that geologically distinct areas of hills and vales lie in roughly concentric circles towards the centre; these comprise the Greensand Ridge , most prominent on the north side of the Weald, where it includes Leith Hill , the highest hill in south-east England,
2016-504: The Second World War to increase domestic food production – which continued into the 1950s - much grassland was ploughed up for arable farming, fundamentally changing the landscape and ecology, with the loss of much biodiversity. As a result, while old chalk grassland accounted for 40-50% of the eastern Downs before the war, only 3-4% survives. This and development pressures from the surrounding population centres ultimately led to
2088-751: The Sussex Downs . The Western Downs, lying west of the River Arun , are much more wooded, particularly on the scarp face, than the Eastern Downs. The bare Eastern Downs – the only part of the chalk escarpment to which, until the late 19th century, the term "South Downs" was usually applied – have come to epitomise, in literature and art, the South Downs as a whole and which have been the subject matter of such celebrated writers and artists as Rudyard Kipling (the "blunt, bow-headed, whale-backed downs") and Eric Ravilious . Four river valleys cut through
2160-599: The EHDC in 1983, the town had been represented through the Petersfield constituency . At a town level, Petersfield is represented through the Petersfield Town Council. The Town Mayor of Petersfield currently exists as a ceremonial role and the mayoral term length is currently one year. Petersfield railway station is on the Portsmouth Direct line between London and Portsmouth. A branch line to Midhurst closed in 1955. The main station buildings date from
2232-513: The Heath. These are considered to be one of the more important lowland barrow groups in this country. The barrows indicate that the area of the Heath was occupied by people who may have come to regard this area as sacred to their religion. As yet no trace has been confirmed for the dwellings of these people as the structures would have been wooden but Petersfield Museum hosts a community project to throw more light on this period of history. The town
Petersfield Festival Hall and Town Hall - Misplaced Pages Continue
2304-877: The Herne Farm Leisure Centre on the eponymous estate, the Religious Society of Friends in the Voluntary Centre, High Street. Life Church Petersfield, formerly Petersfield Christian Fellowship, has an office in Chapel Street and meets in the Methodist Church Hall located in Station Road. Sports venues include the Taro Centre , a leisure centre containing 3 swimming pools, squash courts, gymnasium,
2376-596: The Lower and Middle units. The strata of southeast England, including the Chalk, were gently folded during a phase of the Alpine Orogeny to produce the Weald-Artois Anticline , a dome-like structure with a long east-west axis. Erosion has removed the central part of the dome, leaving the north-facing escarpment of the South Downs along its southern margin with the south-facing chalk escarpment of
2448-460: The Market Square in 1866 and, after use of the building declined significantly in the wake of the Great depression of British agriculture in the late 19th century, it was re-purposed as a venue for public meetings, theatrical performances and concerts. However, by the 1920's, it was inadequate for that purpose and it was converted into shops in 1929. In 1933, a local art dealer, Marie Brahms, wrote to
2520-646: The Petersfield Summer Festival over the August Bank Holiday weekend and the Petersfield Christmas Festival Market on the first Sunday in December. These are organised by a Community Interest Company called "Petersfield Community Events, based in the town. The town also plays host to an annual "Scooter Sunday" festival, a mod -themed event which sees several hundred scooter riders gather in
2592-471: The Petersfield secondary schools. Petersfield lacks a state-sector sixth-form. Pupils normally continue their education at Havant and South Downs College , Bohunt Sixth Form or Alton College . The town and the surrounding villages are home to several independent schools. Churcher's College is in Petersfield, and counts Tim Rodber and Tiny Rowland amongst its former pupils. Ditcham Park School
2664-504: The South Downs Environmentally Sensitive Area there are thirty-seven Sites of Special Scientific Interest , including large areas of chalk grassland. The grazing of sheep on the thin, well-drained chalk soils of the Downs over many centuries, and browsing by rabbits, resulted in the fine, short, springy turf, known as old chalk grassland , that has come to epitomise the South Downs today. Until
2736-516: The South Downs as "the great hills of the South Country". In On The South Coast , poet Algernon Charles Swinburne describes the South Downs as "the green smooth-swelling unending downs". The naturalist-writer William Henry Hudson wrote that "during the whole fifty-three mile length from Beachy Head to Harting the ground never rises above a height of 850 feet, but we feel on top of the world". Poet Francis William Bourdillon also wrote
2808-405: The South Downs but is included in the South Downs National Park. In the introduction to Arthur Conan Doyle 's short story collection His Last Bow , Dr. Watson states that Sherlock Holmes has retired to a small farm upon the Downs near Eastbourne. In the story "His Last Bow" itself, Holmes states that he "lives and keeps bees upon the South Downs". Furthermore, the short story " The Lion's Mane "
2880-573: The South Downs presents itself as a steep wall that bounds the horizon, with its grassland heights punctuated with clumps of trees (such as Chanctonbury Ring ). In the west, the chalk ridge of the South Downs merges with the North Downs to form the Hampshire Downs . In the east, the escarpment terminates at the English Channel coast between Seaford and Eastbourne , where it produces the spectacular white cliffs of Seaford Head ,
2952-408: The South Downs, and includes large parts of the Weald. The South Downs are characterised by rolling chalk downland with close-cropped turf and dry valleys , and are recognised as one of the most important chalk landscapes in England. The range is one of the four main areas of chalk downland in southern England . The South Downs are relatively less populated compared to South East England as
Petersfield Festival Hall and Town Hall - Misplaced Pages Continue
3024-414: The South Downs, namely those of the rivers Arun, Adur , Ouse and Cuckmere , providing a contrasting landscape. Chalk aquifers and to a lesser extent winterbourne streams supply much of the water required by the surrounding settlements. Dew ponds , artificial ponds for watering livestock, are a characteristic feature on the downland. The highest point on the South Downs is Butser Hill , whose summit
3096-475: The archive files at Petersfield Town Council. The town grew in prosperity due to its position on frequently travelled routes, local sheep farming, and cottage industries including leather and cloth. There were weekly markets in the town square for sheep, horse and cattle trading, and two annual fairs, in June (on the feast of St Peter and St Paul) and November (on the feast of St Andrew). An autumn fair which began in
3168-725: The cross-section of dry valleys known as the Seven Sisters and Beachy Head , the highest chalk sea cliff in Britain at 162 m (531 ft) above sea level. The South Downs may be said to have three main component parts: the East Hampshire Downs, the Western Downs and the Eastern Downs, together with the river valleys that cut across them and the land immediately below them, the scarpfoot . The Western and Eastern Downs are often collectively referred to as
3240-690: The decision to create the South Downs National Park , which came into full operation on 1 April 2011, to protect and restore the Downs. The South Downs have also been designated as a National Character Area (NCA 125) by Natural England . It is bordered by the Hampshire Downs , the Wealden Greensand , the Low Weald and the Pevensey Levels to the north and the South Hampshire Lowlands and South Coast Plain to
3312-666: The early 19th century was held in October on The Heath, called "The Taro Fair". The town's market square has an 18th-century statue of King William III by Henry Cheere . The king is mounted and the statue is on an engraved plinth. It is one of only five statues of William in the United Kingdom outside Northern Ireland (the others being in Glasgow , Brixham , Hull and Bristol ) and, as such, attracts bands of marching Orangemen in mid-July to commemorate William's victory at
3384-604: The enquiry process a number of boundary questions were considered, so that the National Park contains areas not in the former AONBs, and vice versa. The South Downs contain a number of national nature reserves (NNRs). The NNRs on the Sussex Downs comprise Kingley Vale , near Chichester , said by Natural England to contain one of the finest yew forests in Europe, including a grove of ancient trees which are among
3456-588: The idea received firm government support. After a public enquiry that took place between 2003 and 2009, the government announced its decision to make the South Downs a national park on 31 March 2009. The South Downs National Park finally came into operation on 1 April 2011. Within its boundary are included not only the South Downs proper but also part of the western Weald , a geologically and ecologically quite different district. The South Downs National Park has replaced two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)s : East Hampshire AONB and Sussex Downs AONB . During
3528-573: The local community. The artistic director is theatre director Jake Smith. The Petersfield Musical Festival began in 1901, founded by two sisters, Edith and Rosalind Craig Sellar. It is still held annually in the town's Festival Hall. Musicians associated with it over the years have included Kathleen Merritt (conductor of the Petersfield Orchestra from the 1920s to the 1970s), Dr Hugh Allen , Maurice Blower , Adrian Boult , Wilfred Brown , George Dyson , Sydney Watson , Steuart Wilson and (more recently) Mark Deller and Paul Spicer . Several pubs in
3600-417: The local newspaper complaining about the lack of a public events venue. The matter attracted the support of a local philanthropist, Harry Roberts, who launched a campaign to raise funds to provide a home for the Petersfield Music Festival, as well as dedicated offices for Petersfield Urban District Council . The site he selected for the new building was open land on the north side of Heath Road. The new building
3672-484: The low-lying clay vales of the Low Weald, formed of less resistant Weald Clay , and finally the more highly resistant sandstones of the High Weald at the centre of the anticline, whose elevated forest ridge includes most notably Ashdown Forest . The chalk, being porous, allows water to soak through; as a result there are many winterbournes along the northern edge. The South Downs are a long chalk escarpment that stretches for over 110 km (68 mi), rising from
SECTION 50
#17327827455223744-417: The middle of the 20th century, an agricultural system operated by downland farmers known as 'sheep-and-corn farming' underpinned this: the sheep (most famously the Southdown breed) of villagers would be systematically confined to certain corn fields to improve their fertility with their droppings and then they would be let out onto the downland to graze. However, starting in 1940 with government measures during
3816-431: The northern fringe of Friston Forest north-west of Eastbourne, one of the largest areas of chalk heath in Britain. The NNRs on the East Hampshire Downs comprise Butser Hill , near Petersfield, a large area of chalk grassland on the highest point in the South Downs (a large area is also designated as a scheduled monument reflecting its historical significance, particularly in the Bronze and Iron Ages); Old Winchester Hill ,
3888-412: The offices of Petersfield Urban District Council for the next four decades, but ceased to be the local seat of government when East Hampshire District Council was formed at Penns Place in Durford Road in 1974. A small hall was added to the side in 1975, followed by a block of dressing rooms constructed to a design by Kenneth Claxton in 1979. In 1987, the building was extended on the north side, creating
3960-406: The oldest living things in Britain (the reserve is also one of the most important archaeological sites in southern England, with 14 scheduled monuments ); Castle Hill , between Brighton and Lewes, an important example of ancient, traditionally managed grassland; Lewes Downs ( Mount Caburn ), a traditionally managed chalk downland (and also an important archaeological site); and Lullington Heath , on
4032-627: The opening of the line in 1859 and are of a "town" type. Petersfield stood at a major crossroads until the A3 London to Portsmouth road was bypassed to the west of the town. The A272 bypasses the town via the A3 and a link road to Sheet on its route between Winchester , Hampshire's county town , and Heathfield, East Sussex . The local state secondary school is The Petersfield School , usually referred to as 'TPS'. Primary schools are Petersfield Infant School, Sheet Primary School and Herne Junior School. A number of other local primary schools (Langrish, East Meon, West Meon, Steep and Buriton) feed into
4104-476: The plans were put on hold in 2024 after the building contractor chosen ceased trading. The two-storey building is constructed of brick, with concrete floors extended through to show as bands. It has steel framed windows and a flat roof covered with felt. The council chamber was originally on the first floor, but was later relocated to the ground floor, to improve access. The main hall is 92 feet (28 m) by 45 feet (14 m). Petersfield Petersfield
4176-429: The sense of 'elevated rolling grassland' around the 14th century. These hills are prefixed 'south' to distinguish them from another chalk escarpment , the North Downs , which runs roughly parallel to them about 30 mi (48 km) away on the northern edge of the Weald. The South Downs are formed from a thick band of chalk which was deposited during the Cretaceous Period between 100 and 66 million years ago within
4248-420: The south east side of the town is Petersfield Heath, 95 acres (38 ha) of heathland including woodland, grassland, a pond, and a picnic and recreation area. Petersfield Heath is a Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI). It also contains 21 Bronze Age barrows which have resulted in the site being given Scheduled Ancient Monument status. Heathland is very rare throughout Europe and Petersfield Heath
4320-401: The south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head , in the Eastbourne Downland Estate , East Sussex, in the east. The Downs are bounded on the northern side by a steep escarpment , from whose crest there are extensive views northwards across the Weald . The South Downs National Park forms a much larger area than the chalk range of
4392-426: The south. The downland is a highly popular recreational destination, particularly for walkers, horseriders and mountain bikers. A long distance footpath and bridleway , the South Downs Way , follows the entire length of the chalk ridge from Winchester to Eastbourne, complemented by many interconnecting public footpaths and bridleways. The term 'downs' is from Old English dūn , meaning 'hill'. The word acquired
SECTION 60
#17327827455224464-402: The square and live music. The event is organised by The Five Fifteen, a local menswear retailer. Petersfield's market square holds markets every Wednesday and Saturday, there are also monthly Farmers' markets . Stallholders and farmers from Petersfield's French twin town Barentin visit Petersfield and hold a French market . In the High Street is the physic garden , which is a recreation of
4536-449: The town centre, The Square. Other churches include Methodist (Station Road), Catholic (St Laurence's, Station Road) and United Reformed Church (College Street). The Salvation Army has been in Petersfield since 1886 and has been situated in Swan Street since 1924. The hall is open most days with various community activities, serving the community in the traditional ways of the Salvation Army . The Evangelical fellowship meets at
4608-434: The town host live music, open mic nights, and Battle of the Bands competitions. The Studio at The Petersfield School also hosts various live performances. Petersfield has one museum, run by the Petersfield Museum Trust. It is situated in the town's old courthouse and police station. Within it are the Flora Twort Gallery, the Bedales Historic costume collection, which consists of over 1,000 pieces dating from 1720, and
4680-405: The valley of the River Itchen near Winchester, Hampshire , in the west to Beachy Head near Eastbourne , East Sussex , in the east. Behind the steep north-facing scarp slope, the gently inclined dip slope of undulating chalk downland extends for a distance of up to 7 mi (11 km) southwards. Viewed from high points further north in the High Weald and on the North Downs, the scarp of
4752-469: The village of Slindon (near Arundel) and ends at the Queen Elizabeth Country Park (to the south of Petersfield.) Longer events that take in the South Downs Way include a 100-mile running 'ultramarathon' and mountain biking 75 mile night time race from Beachy Head to Queen Elizabeth Country Park. Three of the landmarks on the Downs are the Long Man of Wilmington and the Litlington White Horse being chalk carved hill figures , and Clayton Windmills . There
4824-468: The west, and forested hills (Durford Wood) to the north east. The town is a centre for exploring the South Downs National Park . Close to the town and situated on the South Downs is Queen Elizabeth Country Park , which incorporates Butser Hill (270 metres), and has a variety of scenery including chalk hills, beech woodland and pine forest. The Hangers Way footpath starts from the country park, goes to Buriton, through Petersfield and in to Alton . On
4896-497: The year. The artistic director is Nik Ashton, the associate director of Matilda the Musical. Winton Players was formed in 1947 and is one of the longest running Amateur Dramatics Societies in Petersfield. They are perhaps best known for their yearly pantomime which takes places at the Festival Hall. The Petersfield Shakespeare Festival takes place every July in the grounds of Bedales School in Steep . Its productions are professionally staged and are augmented with performers from
4968-443: Was designed by Seely & Paget in the Art Deco style , built by Messrs. Rigg and Remington of Westminster in red brick at a cost of £5,500, and it was officially opened on 6 October 1935. The Petersfield Musical Festival continued to be held each year and operated under the conductorship of Adrian Boult until 1945, and under Sydney Watson , Richard Seal and Mark Deller among others, thereafter. The building also served as
5040-400: Was formed in 1934. One of the founder members was the artist Flora Twort . PACS holds regular demonstrations and workshops and also holds a yearly exhibition in the Petersfield Festival Hall. Petersfield Festival Hall shows plays and concerts during the year. Petersfield Youth Theatre was formed in 1990 and performs annually at the Festival Hall, as well as delivering projects throughout
5112-414: Was founded during the 12th century by William FitzRobert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester , later chartered by his widow, Hawise de Beaumont, and confirmed by charter in 1198 from "John, Count of Mortain" (later to be King John ). In 1415 King Henry V granted the burgesses of Petersfield freedom from toll, stallage, picage, pannage, murage, and pontage throughout the realm of England. All charters are preserved in
5184-636: Was opened in 1857. On the nearest week-end to 6 October every year the Taro Fair is held on Petersfield Heath, a reminder of cattle fairs that were held annually until the 1950s. It is now a fun fair. ("Tarw" is the Welsh shout by the herders for "Bull"; pronounced "Taro" in English). Free festivals are held throughout the year. The Petersfield Spring Festival over the May Bank Holiday weekend,
#521478